Heads for hydrocyclonic separators

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to improvements in hydrocyclonic separators for separating or concentrating solid particles suspended in a liquid, wherein it has a head comprising an inlet nozzle for the liquid to be treated, an outlet nozzle for the treated liquid and means for guiding the liquid to the inlet, said head being able to receive bodies of hydrocyclonic separators of different conicities and shapes.

I 1 Umted States atent 1191 1111 3,724,674 Loison [4 1 Apr. 3, 1973 s41 HEADS FOR HYDROCYCLONIC 2,890,764 6/1959 Arnold ..209/144 x SEPARATORS 2,976,994 3/1961 3,087,645 4/1963 [76] Inventor. Robert I Loison, 15 Allee du 3,288,300 11/1966 Bouchmon clmbler Dmame dc 3,313,413 4/1967 Delcellier Grandchamp, Le Pew, France 3,358,833 12/1967 Cantrell 2 Filed: June 30 1970 2,191,190 2/1940 DeGuire..... 3,349,548 10/1967 Boyer ..210/512 X [21] Appl. No.: 51,294

. Primary Examiner-Tim R. Miles 30 Foreign Application priority Data Assistant Examiner-Robert Halper Attorney-John Lezdey July 3, 1969 France ..6922521 7 T T [52] US. Cl ..210/512, 209/211 [5 1 ABS RAC [51] Int. Cl. ..B01d 21/26, B040 3/06 This invention relates to improvements in hydro- [58] Field of Search..209l211, 144;210/512; 55/347 cyclonic separators for separating or concentrating solid particles suspended in a liquid, wherein it has a [56] References Cited head comprising an inlet nozzle for the liquid to be treated, an outlet nozzle for the treated liquid and UNITED STATES PATENTS means for guiding the liquid to the inlet, said head 2,346,005 4/1944 Bryson ..209/21l being able to receive bodies of hydrocyclonic separa- 2,347,731 5/1944 Bolvie .....209/ 144 tors of different conicities and shapes. 2,738,070 3/1956 Cottrell..... .....209l211 12/1957 Braun ..209/2l1 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 3 I975 Inventor RGBERT LOISON BY 2 A for y HEADS FOR HYDROCYCLONIC SEPARATORS The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to hydrocyclonic separators.

In order to separate solid particles or impurities from a liquid in which they are suspended, hydrocyclonic separators are known which comprise two elements, particularly the conical body provided with an inlet nozzle for the liquid to be treated or charged with particles, and a cover provided with an outlet nozzle for the treated liquid.

The known hydrocyclonic separators comprise a plane of joint which is directly in contact with the primary vortex of the liquid to be treated and this affects the yield of the apparatus as described in US. Pat. Nos. 3,288,300; 3,087,645 and 3,313,413.

The improvements in the hydrocyclonic separators, according to the invention, have for their object to remedy certain disadvantages in these apparatus.

In accordance with the present invention, a hydro cyclonic separator is used which has a head comprising an inlet nozzle for the liquid to be treated, an outlet nozzle for the treated liquid and means for guiding the liquid to the inlet, said head being able to receive hydrocyclonic separator bodies which have different conicities and shapes.

Apart from the advantage presented by the possibility of mounting the head on different types of bodies, the head may be fitted and welded to the upper part of the-body, so as to eliminate any plane of joint directly in contact with the primary vortex of liquid charged with particles.

The inlet nozzle for the liquid is inclined and extended by a helical conduit so as to guide the primary vortex at the beginning.

In this way, the liquid charged with particles, at the end of the first revolution of the primary vortex, does not come into contact with the liquid to be treated which penetrates into the hydrocyclonic separator.

This disadvantage which is inherent in all the known hydrocyclonic separators, has for its principal consequences to brake the linear speed of the jet of liquid penetrating into the hydro-cyclone and to create turbulences which prevent formation of a well defined primary vortex.

The internal shape of theinlet nozzle for the liquid to be treated ensures the formation of a jet of liquid of perfectly rectangular section and the linear acceleration of the jet of liquid to be treated.

Furthermore, it is well known that in the phenomenon used in the hydrocyclonic separator, a secondary vortex is produced at the end of the primary vortex which is located in the outlet nozzle for the impurities, said secondary vortex having at its center a small whirlwind of air drawn in at the base of the hydrocyclonic separator.

This secondary vortex is composed of non-charged liquid as the impurities contained in the primary vortex are centrifuged and evacuated through the lower outlet nozzle whilst only the center of the secondary vortex is directed towards the upper outlet nozzle for the treated liquid.

The outer part of this secondary vortex may also contain a few solid particles and due to the shape of the lower part of the outlet nozzle for the treated liquid, said outer part of the secondary vortex is taken up by the primary vortex.

In the known hydrocyclonic separators, this outer part of the secondary vortex is placed in contact in an undetermined manner, with the beg'nning of the primary vortex and this is disadvantageous in that new turbulences are created which reduce the linear speed of the primary vortex.

According to another characteristic of the hydrocyclonic separator produced according to the invention, a concave surface is used which surrounds the evacuation nozzle for the treated liquid, which enables the outer part of the secondary vortex to be directed in the direction of circulation of the primary vortex.

The improvements in hdyrocyclonic separators, according to the invention, enable the yield of the apparatus of known type to be improved and the wear of the different parts of the body of the separator, due to the abnormal turbulences of the liquid charged with particles, to be eliminated.

Furthermore, the perfect definition of the primary vortex permits a better ejection of the solid particles to be separated from the charged liquid.

In view of the speed of rotation of the cavity of the vortex which is produced at the base of a hydrocyclonic separator, the charged liquid which leaves the evacuation nozzle for the impurities produces a jet forming a right angle with respect to the axis of the vortex.

On the known hydrocyclonic separators, this disadvantage is remedied by fixing to the base of the nozzle a cap forming an anti-splash nozzle however, this cap risks breaking, splitting or falling off, as it is fragile.

Furthermore, plastics materials or aluminum oxide currently known as ceramics are used for producing these evacuation nozzles for highly charged liquid.

According to a characteristic of the invention, the evacuation nozzle for the impurities is made of metal, particularly steel, and its inside is coated with treated chromium oxide in the conical part located at the level of the cavity of the vortex and subjected to the greatest abrasion.

This coating offers the advantage of a much greater resistance to abrasion than all the known materials, without presenting the disadvantage of being fragile, like ceramics.

Finally, the evacuation nozzle has the form of an anti-splash nozzle which permits the flow of the highly charged liquid.

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to be accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an improved hydrocyclonic separator according to the invention FIG. 2 is a plan view of the head of the hydrocyclonic separator.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. I shows an embodiment of a hydrocyclonic separator according to the invention, which comprises a head 1 fitted and welded by a flange 2 into a chamber 3 provided in the upper part of a body 4 having a cylindrical part 5 extended by a conical part 6. A nozzle 8 for evacuating the impurities is mounted in the lower part of the body 4, particularly by means of a threaded part 7.

In accordance with the invention, the head 1 (FIGS. 1 and 2) comprises an inlet nozzle 9 for the liquid to be treated or charged with solid particles, which is inclined by an angle a with respect to a horizontal plane xx; and has a section which decreases from its aperture to its inlet aperture 11 in the head 1 of the hydrocyclonic separator.

The nozzle 9 is extended in the head 1 by a helical conduit 12 whose inclination corresponds to the angle of inclination a of the nozzle 9.

The aperture 11 which is located at the inlet of the helical conduit 12, has, like conduit 12, a quadrangular section whose height is greater than the width, in order to obtain a substantially flat jet of liquid.

Concentrically to the conduit 12 and in its central part, the head 1 comprises an outlet nozzle 13 for the treated liquid, which is extended externally by a tube 14.

At a certain distance from the inlet aperture 15 of the outlet nozzle 13 and around this latter is provided a concave annular surface 16, semi-circular in section, for guiding the outer part of the secondary ascending vortex which is located outside the outlet nozzle 13, towards the primary vortex.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the annular surface 16 is at the outlet of the helical conduit 12.

The evacuation nozzle 8 for the impurities or solid particles, which is fixed to the lower part of the body 4, has on its inside a conical part 17 extending the conical part 6 of the body and a widened cylindrical part 18 connected to the outlet aperture 19 of the conical part 17, in order to constitute an anti-splash nozzle.

The evacuation nozzle 8 is made of a metallic material, particularly steel, and it is internally coated in its conical part 17 with a coating 20 made of treated chromium oxide.

This arrangement makes it possible to have a vertical flow of the particle-charged jet and to avoid abrasion of the conical part 17, due to the interior coating 20.

What is claimed is 1. Improvements in hydrocyclonic separators having a primary vortex and a secondary vortex for separating or concentrating solid particles suspended in a liquid, wherein said hydrocyclone has a head comprising an inlet noale for the liquid to be treated, said inlet nozzle having an aperture at the inlet of a helical conduit and being inclined with respect to a horizontal plane and having a decreasing cross-section so as to constitute a linear speed accelerator and extended by said helical conduit of internal quadrangular cross-section with a height greater than its width corresponding to a flat jet of liquid, and an outlet nozzle having an inlet aperture for the treated liquid and means surrounding said nozzle for guiding the outer part of said secondary vortex toward said primary vortex, said head having means receiving bodies of hydrocyclonic separators of different conicities and shapes.

2. Improvements in hydrocyclonic separators as defined in claim 1, wherein the inclination of the inlet nozzle of the liquid to be treated corresponds to the pitches of the helix of the conduit.

3. Improvements in hydrocyclonic separators as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for guiding the outer part of the secondary vortex towards the primary vortex comprises a concave annular surface of semicircular section at a certain distance from the inlet aperture of said outlet nozzle.

4. Improvements in hydrocyclonic separators as defined in claim 1, wherein there is fixed on the lower part of the body of the hgdrocyclonic se arator a nozzle for evacuating the so d particles, sai nozzle bemg internally provided with a conical part extending the conical part of the body and a widened cylindrical part connected to the aperture of the conical part in order to form an anti-splash nozzle.

5. Improvement in hydrocyclonic separators as defined in claim 4, wherein the evacuation nozzle is made of metal, and is internally provided in its conical part with a coating of treated chromium oxide. 

1. Improvements in hydrocyclonic separators having a primary vortex and a secondary vortex for separating or concentrating solid particles suspended in a liquid, wherein said hydrocyclone has a head comprising an inlet nozzle for the liquid to be treated, said inlet nozzle having an aperture at the inlet of a helical conduit and being inclined with respect to a horizontal plane and having a decreasing cross-section so as to constitute a linear speed accelerator and extended by said helical conduit of internal quadrangular cross-section with a height greater than its width corresponding to a flat jet of liquid, and an outlet nozzle having an inlet aperture for the treated liquid and means surrounding said nozzle for guiding the outer part of said secondary vortex toward said primary vortex, said head having means receiving bodies of hydrocyclonic separators of different conicities and shapes.
 2. Improvements in hydrocyclonic separators as defined in claim 1, wherein the inclination of the inlet nozzle of the liquid to be treated corresponds to the pitches of the helix of the conduit.
 3. Improvements in hydrocyclonic separators as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for guiding the outer part of the secondary vortex towards the primary vortex comprises a concave annular surface of semi-circular section at a certain distance from the inlet aperture of said outlet nozzle.
 4. Improvements in hydrocyclonic separators as defined in claim 1, wherein there is fixed on the lower part of the body of the hydrocyclonic separator a nozzle for evacuating the solid particles, said nozzle being internally provided with a conical part extending the conical part of the body and a widened cylindrical part connected to the aperture of the conical part in order to form an anti-splash nozzle.
 5. Improvement in hydrocyclonic separators as defined in claim 4, wherein the evacuation nozzle is made of metal, and is internally provided in its conical part with a coating of treated chromium oxide. 